Hold-up alarm



G- R. DOBBINS HOLD UP ALARM Oct. 11 1927.

Filed May 1922 2 Shee ts-Sheet 1 .4 a Mr ,3 /9

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GEORGE R. DOBIBINS, OF ALHAMBRA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNQB OF ONE FOURTI-I T H. H. HAMMOND AND ONE-FOURTH TO V/ILLIAIi i. R. H. MILLER, BOTH OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

HOLD-UP ALARM.

Application filed. May 8, 1922. eel-m1 No. 559,407. 7

This invention relatesto an alarm of the character useful in giving a signal by the closing of an lectric circuit.

' The invention relates more particularly to a device employing blank cartridges ily installed in banks and other desirable locations and connected with a suitable switch or switches that are located at the cashiers windows or any other suitable places. Though any suitable switch may be employed, I have invented one that is especially useful with this device as disclosed in my copending application for patent, Serial No. 559,406, filed May 8, 1922.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of a hold-up alarm constructed in accord ance with the provisions of this invention, the spring-winding crank being shown detached from its shaft.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Figure 1, the detent lever being shown in solid lines in position to hold the oartridge-detonating mechanism stationary, and being shown in broken lines in disengaged position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line indicated by 33, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevatio from the line indicated by 4-4, Fig.1, the drum shaft and the base being shown in section.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of a fragment of the plunger release mechanism shown in Figure 4.

Fig. 6 is a elevation from the line inclicated by 6-6, Figure 1, a portion of the spring chamber being broken away and the base being shown in section.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line indicated by 7-7, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an elevation from the line indicated by 88, Figure 1, the base being shown in section.

There is provided a plunger support 10 mounted on a suitable base 11. The plunger support 10 comprises a barrel 12 having at one end a flange13 and provided intermediate of its ends with radially extending lugs 14. The flange 13 and lugs 14 constitute bearings in which are shiftably mounted hammers 15 in the form of plungers provided at their forward ends with firing pins 16. The plungers 15 are provided with shoulders 17, and between said shoulders and the flange 13 are coil springs 18 which surround the plungers. The springs 18 tend to force the plungers forward to cause the firing pins 16 to project through holes %9 in a standard 20 mounted on the base Detachably mounted on th standard 20 is a cartridge holder 21 provided with a circular series of bores 22 in which the cartridges to be ,fired are placed. Such cartridges are indicatedat 23. The cartridge holder 22 is provided with a central bore 24 which removably fits upon an annular flange 25 of. the standard 20. To retain the car tridge holder 22 in place on the flange 25 the standard is provided with headed studs 26 which engage in notches 27 formed in the cartridge holder 22. The heads 28 of the studs 26 engage the outer face of the cartridge holder when the cartridge holder is turned to position to bring the studs into the notches 27. When the cartridge holder 'is turned to position to disengage the studs from the notches the heads 28 are accommodated within recesses 29 formed in the edge of the cartridge holder. The notches 27 communicate with the recesses 29 at one of the side margins of said recesses. When the studs are in the notches 27 the bores 22 are axially alined with the plungers 15 and, therefore, the cartridges are in position to be struck by the plungers.

Means are provided to retract the plungers 15 against the pressure of the springs 18 and for this purpose the barrel 10 is provided with an annular flange 30 at the end opposite to the flange 13, secured by screws 31 to the lugs 14. Rotatably mounted on the flange 30 is a ring 32 provided with a handle 33 by which the ring may be turned. The flange 30 engages in an internal annular groove 34 in the ring 32. The ring 32 is provided on its inner side face with a series of spaced cams 35 adapted, when the ring is Means are provided to hold the plungers retracted, and for this purpose the plungers are provided near their rear ends with shoulders 37 which, when the plungers are 1n the retracted position, are respectively engaged by dogs 38 that are pivoted at 39 on the outer face of the flange 13. The dogs 38 are yieldingly held toward the plungers 15 by coil springs 40 which are interposed between the dogs and spring seats 41 on the outer face of the flange 13.

Means are provided to trip the dogs 38 so as to release the plungers and, in this instance, said means are constructed as fol lowsrIn axial alinement with the flange 13 is provided a cam 42 fixed to a shaft 43 which is journaled in a bearing 44 mounted on the base '11. The high point 45 of the cam 42 is spaced a greater distance from the axis of the cam than are the spring-engaged ends of the dogs 38, when said dogs are in position to hold the plungers retracted, as shown in solid lines in Figure 5. Therefore, when the cam 42 rotates in the direction of the arrow at, said cam will successively strike and trip the dogs 38.

The shaft 43 is provided with a spur gear 46 in mesh with a spur gear 47 on ashaft 48 that is journaled in a bearing 49 mounted on the base 11. The shaft 48 is provided with a worm, gear 50 in mesh with, a worm 51 on a shaft 52 which is journaled in bearings 53, 54, mounted on the base 11.- The worm shaft 51 constitutesthe drive shaft of a ball governor, indicated in general by the character 55. It is unnecessary to describe and illustrate the governor 55 in detail, since this type of governor is well understood, ex cepting to state that the governor is provided with a fly wheel 56 having a hole 57 adapted to be engaged by a detent 58 on one end of a lever 59. The lever 59 is pivoted at 60 to a standard 61. v

The governor 55 is driven by operation of the gears 46, 47 and shaft 48, and the gear 46 is driven by a spur gear 62 on a shaft 63 which turns in a bearing 64 mounted on the base 11. The shaft extends through a spring chamber 65 and is journaled therein. In the'spring chamber 65 is a coil spring 66 having one end secured in a transverse slot 67 in the shaft 63 and having its other end secured to the spring chamber 65 by one of the bolts 68 thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 3.

'The outer projecting end of the shaft 63 is provided with shoulders 69 designed to engage in notches 70 formed in a crank 71 which is provided with a bore 72 to loosely fit the shaft 63. Thus the crank 71 can be readily applied to the shaft 63 for the purpose of winding the spring 66, in a well known manner, to store up power in the spring so that, upon expansion of the spring, the cam 42 and the governor 55 will be driven, the governor regulating the speed at which the cam rotates, since, upon higher speeds of the governor, the fly wheel 58 is disengaged from the hole 57 and, as

soon as the winding has been effected, the operator will stop rotation of the fly wheel 56 so as to registei' the hole 57 with the detent 58, and he will thenmove the lever 59 toward the fly wheel to engage the detent therewith to hold the governor and the parts connected therewith against rotation.

Means are provided for tripping the lever 59 to release the fly wheel 56 and such means are electrically operated and are constructed as follows: The lever 59 is provided with an armature 73 adapted to be attracted by energization of an electromag'net 74 which, as shown in Figure 2, is connected 'by a wire 75 to a source 76 of electric current. 'The electromagnet is also connected by a wire 77 to the binding post 78 of a spring electric contact 79, which is secured to the lever 59 by said binding post. When the lever 59 is in position to hold the governor stationary, the contact 79 is in engagement with another spring electric contact 80 which is secured by a binding post 81 to a standard 82. To the binding post 81 is secured a wire 83 which connects with the electric current source 76. v

The degree of turning of the ring 32 in either direction may be limited by a stop 88 projecting from the outer face of the flange 30 into an arcuate slot 89 in the ring 32, said stop engaging the end walls of the slot 89 in the extreme positions of the ring.

Assuming that the plungers 15 have been retracted and that the dogs 38 engage said plungers to "holdthem thus, the spring 66 will be wound in the manner described above and the cartridge holder 22, if empty, will be removed and cartridges inserted therein and the holder replaced as has been previously described. The alarm is now ready for operation since the armature 73 is spaced from the core of the electromagnet 74, and-the contacts 79, 80 are closed. Any suitable switch may be provided for closing the circuit, and such a switch is indicated at 84. I prefer to .employfor this purpose a switch of the character disclosed in the above identified copending application for patent. Any person desiring to set off the alarm will close the switch 84, thus energizing the electro-magnet 74. -This actuates the lever 59 to release the fly wheel 56 of the governor and the expansion of the spring 66 will then cause rotation ofthe cam 42 so as to successively trip the dogs 38 to suecessively release the plungers 15. Each plunger is released and impelled against the cartridge aligned therewith by its spring 18 so as to effect'detonation of said cartridge. There will thus be produced a more or less rapid series of shots, in this instance six.

If the alarm is placed in a bank and is connected with switches located conveniently to the tellers, any one of the tellers can effect operation of the alarm and the shots will serve to either frighten away the thieves or summon assistance.

I claim:

1. Ina hold-up alarm, the combination of means to hold a plurality of cartridges, means including shoulders to strike the cartridges, means to hold the striking means inactive, means to release the striking means, and a ring mounted on the cartridge-holding means provided with cam faces to engage shoulders to retract the striking means when said member is turned.

2. In a hold-up alarm, the combination of a standard provided with openings, headed studs on the standard, a cartridge holder, means rotatably mounting the' cartridgeholder on the standard, the cartridge-holder provided with notches to engage the studs when the cartridge holder is turned in one direction and to disengage said studs when turned in the opposite direction, the heads of the studs engage the outer face of the cartridge holder when the studs are in the notches, said cartridge holder having a circular series of bores for receiving cartridges, plungers alined with the openings and with the cartridges when the notches are engaged withthe studs, means shiftahly mounting said plungers, means to releasably hold the plungers retracted, means to release the plunger-holding means, and means to drive the plungers against the cartridges when the plunger-holding means are released.

Signed at Los Angeles California this 1st day of May, 1922.

GEORGE R. DOBBINS. 

